About 18 months ago the management of the newspaper proposed that Kytherians from all over the world visiting our Kytherian birthplace and the island’s permanent residents should come together on a specific day of the year. That this day become an institution, be a global meeting of Pan-Kytherians and be named (Antamosi tou Kytheraismou) “Kytheraismos Reunion”. A year ago this idea was implemented by the few present then but with many promises for the future. Our island was offered as a permanent meeting place but also as a temporal reference point by Kytherians and Philo-Kytherians found all over the world.
A year later we are coming together in this same place and we welcome our “2nd Reunion”. Of course, there are many new factors. There is the economic crisis which is plaguing our region as a member of the Euro zone and the uncertain future facing us and our children. We have removed a path full of history but haven’t lost our hope for the future of our homeland and haven’t forgotten our common heritage, our customs, and our traditions which remain unchanged by time. Nor have we forgotten these conditions and have passed them onto our young people to remind them that we exist even after our existence and co-exist with them. We move in the space of ideas, knowledge and awareness in what we offer and we are moved when we return to our children institutions and goods which we have borrowed from them.
We maintain common principles and values which are not only in effect throughout time but are also timeless; they are found throughout all the periods of Kytherian history, both locally and not, and wherever our compatriots have lived, whether that be in distant but welcoming Australia, Kytheroupolis and the wider Attica region, America or our island itself.
Today, that Reunion will commence on the afternoon of 30th July 2011 at Panagia Myrtidiotissa. A short service will be conducted by our Metropolitan in the presence of local officials and many Kytherians and Philo-Kytherians, whether from abroad or not. It will continue afterwards with a lovely, simple but moving celebration around the Symbol of the Apodimos (emigrant) Kytherian at Fratsia.
It will be possible for those present with their families to meet friends, relatives and compatriots whom they have not seen in years. They will be able to exchange views, to express complaints but to also to be informed by specialists, either on a personal or broader level, on issues which are of concern to them. These current issues are the education of their children (language, etc.), training and employment, military service and municipal registration for those abroad and so forth, investment matters, the search for ancestors and living relatives, emotional issues regarding their birth place, property (acceptance and distribution etc), but also the preservation of the custom of the Reunion itself for as long as there is a visit.
This gathering and information update will take place in close collaboration with the Municipality of Kythera and other local bodies such as the Enchorios Periousia, the Kytherian Associations, the foundations but above all our Metropolis.
Next year the programme of the 3rd Reunion will include Greek language lessons for Greek-Australian children of Kytherian descent, as well as the commencement of training programmes and a youth exchange programme so that children from our island can visit Australia. The planned creation of children’s summer camps at Agios Theodoros by our Metropolis, and in particular the efforts of our Metropolitan himself, which in our opinion is wonderful, will contribute greatly to the completion and the success of these programmes.
Amongst the elements which could be utilised in the coming years are the possible establishment of municipal seminars for lifelong learning in conjunction with the operation of an educational centre. There could be the establishment, staffing and enrichment of a Pan-Kytherian library on Kythera itself. We could have the recording of oral traditions by developing an archive. The world-wide Kytherian volunteer movement, which is growing strongly after Alexandra Varipatis’ proposal at the 4th Symposium of Kytheraismos, could also be utilised. So, too, could the creation of a Kytherian social network (face book) amongst similar sectors of professionals and the rotating organisation of the Symposium of Kytheraismos in places where there are or were Kytherians or have ties to them, are some of the elements which could be used, in the years ahead.
After the recent decision of the Institute for the onset of the Reunion of Kytheraismos, the commencement of the Reunion will coincide with the completion of the Greek language lessons as well as other activities by our young people on those days (exchanges etc). Our efforts will be supported by those present at the Reunion. They will be the best ambassadors of the Kytherian spirit drawing special attention to the visions and the expectations of our youth, to become stronger and stronger the new institution of Antamosis. This, of course, needs more work, human resources, fresh ideas and many voluntary offers. Happy Reunion (Kali Antamosi), then, on 30th July at Panagia Myrtidiotissa.
